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Designing an AFI Project |
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PDF Version (661KB)This guidebook highlights basic factors to consider when deciding if your agency is ready to create an asset-building project and apply for AFI funding. These include how to identify target communities and plan activities to meet their needs, how to partner with other organizations that could provide some services to project clients, how to manage the nitty-gritty details of developing the savings match process, and more.
There is no one "perfect" framework for an AFI Project. Each project strives to shape its services to meet the particular needs and circumstances of its community and participants. Some projects deliver services to a relatively small geographic place such as an urban neighborhood, while others provide services throughout large rural areas. Still other AFI Projects are managed by networks or consortia of organizations that coordinate their services across a city or metropolitan area, in several different cities or even across a State or the entire nation. These are all effective models.
It is important to take the time to familiarize yourself with the AFI statute and the AFI program announcement. The Assets for Independence Act ( AFI A) includes the rules about grant application requirements, client participation, project management, and other issues. The program announcement, in turn, takes these requirements and outlines-in detail-what is required in submitting a grant application and running an AFI Project. The Project Builder mirrors what is called for in the program announcement, providing tips and insights about successful AFI Project design. However, AFI Project managers will need to know the AFIA legislation and the program announcement throughout their involvement with AFI .
Tip: The Assets for Independence Act (the statute that shapes the AFI Program) and the most recent AFI Program Announcement are both posted on the OCS Web site at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/assetbuilding . |
Regardless of how big or small you envision your AFI Project, you should begin the program design process by taking some basic steps, summarized below. These steps generally reflect what is required in a program application. They build upon each other as you go to the next level in creating your program and writing your AFI grant application. For example, you may already have a needs assessment and a training program in place, which you can modify as you go through some of the other steps. In another program, a review of your organizational capacity may point out some gaps, at which point you will need to decide whether to move forward with AFI. You may decide to pursue AFI in a later grant cycle, when things are in place.
- Target Population. Decide whom you want to serve by learning more about what asset-building needs exist in your area. Do an assessment of your target population's needs and strengths.
- Goals/Objectives. Reflect on your findings from your target population assessment, and outline a goal or goals (a broad vision) and objectives (major results your project will strive to achieve for meeting its goals). At this stage, these goals and objectives are not set in stone. You can come back and revise these as you continue to map out your project.
- Training and Support for Project Participants. Think about how you will train your project participants to become "financially literate" (i.e., learn how to develop a budget and savings plan) and prepare for their asset purchase, as well as what other supportive services you will offer.
- Account Mechanics and Participant Individual Development Accounts. Learn about some of the AFI requirements for financial management, including the characteristics of the AFI Project Reserve Account. Design the structure of client IDA s. How much will the clients save? How long will they have to accumulate their savings? How much will the project match for each dollar participants save?
- Marketing and Recruitment. Now that you know who the project will serve and what it will provide, determine strategies for how the project will inform the target community about the project and the promise of IDA s.
- Organizational Capacity. Determine whether your organization has the experience, commitment, and staff resources to successfully manage an AFI Project.
- Partnerships. Explore the opportunities for using partnership arrangements in order to expand your organization's abilities and leverage other resources so AFI participants will be more likely to succeed. Also, such partnerships and collaborations might make the project more cost effective.
- Networks. Examine the opportunities for forming a network arrangement for your AFI Project. An AFI Network is a program management model in which the grantee organization works with multiple sub-grantees or services sites to offer IDA s across a wider geographic region.
- Implementation Plan. Map out your ideas on a timeline so you can plan what resources and activities will be needed at points throughout the project. The timeline will also help you track successes and challenges.
- Evaluation. AFI, as a Federal demonstration program, includes a national evaluation designed to reveal what works in asset building. Your organization will need to participate in the National Evaluation by providing data on at least an annual basis. You may also set up your own evaluation to better understand the effects your program is having on the community. Finally, your organization certainly should focus on overall project management and quality control throughout the project period.
- Funding. Strategize about additional resources. To make an AFI program work, your organization will need resources in addition to the Federal grant. This requires securing a nonfederal dollar for every AFI grant dollar. At the start of an AFI Project, these nonfederal dollars need to be in the bank or backed up by a strong guaranteed commitment. Also, think about raising additional supporting funds. And, as with other projects, an organized budget and budget justification should be in place.
The following is a discussion of these ideas in greater detail.